Over 25 years in the game. From clandestine raves around Madrid in the late 90s to running one of Europe’s biggest techno institutions, @nuke_dj has turned @codebyfabrik at @fabrikmadrid into a rite of passage — the stage that’s hosted almost every major name in the game, from Jeff Mills to Amelie Lens.
- Hi Rodrigo, thanks for answering our paradoxical questions! What have you been up to lately, between CODE, Ekho Club and the studio?
Mostly working in the next season of Code and Ekho Club, but the last weeks have been specially dedicated to our biggest event of the year, Code Summer Festival.
- You started in the late 90s in small clubs and clandestine raves around Madrid before becoming a resident at Surface in 2002. With over 25 years in the scene, what’s the change that surprised you the most — for better or worse?
Obviously there have been tons of changes and the evolution has been amazing… but I think that now we are able to know an artist or even become a fan of him without never having seen him/her live. I also remember that back in the day we kept like treasures the recorded sets of our favourite djs. First in cassettes, then in CDs and finally in mp3. Now it looks like people isn’t interested in “full dj sets” anymore. A lot of people thinks that they know an artist after watching a few reels or clips of a few seconds… I think this is a bit sad.
- You came into electronic music through computer engineering and trackers, which is quite a unique entry point. Does this technical background still influence the way you approach music today?
Of course, sometimes I don’t even notice, but I’m sure that the way I was introduced to electronic music has been a huge influence on my career. Have in mind that I studied computer engineering, so my technical background is even bigger hehehe.
- You also experienced a change in generations of techno fans. Do you feel today’s crowd interacts with the music the same way it did during the early CODE years at Fabrik?
Nooo, it has changed a lot. In 23 years of CODE we have seen many different generations of clubbers. We started in vinyl, and mobile phones were science fiction. Everything was so analogic and sometimes a bit “hand made”. We listened to the opinion of our audience in the party itself, in internet forums or in the radio (we had a radio show for over 10 years). Now with a smartphone you have everything you need before, during and after a party.
- CODE was born in 2003 from a conversation with César Almena at MQM Dance radio, with the mics off. More than 20 years later, what would you tell your younger self?
Never give up mate. The effort will be worth. You’re going to achieve things that you never dreamt about.
- You’ve brought to Fabrik almost every major name in techno — from Jeff Mills to Amelie Lens, Ben Sims, Marco Carola, Dave Clarke, Rødhåd. How do you actually build a CODE line-up?
I can tell you that we usually start from “the top” to “the bottom”. The headliner(s) are the core of the event and around them we build everything. But we always try to get a good balance, because variety is the key of our line ups.
- If you could book one artist who has never played at Fabrik yet, who would it be in 2026?
Kraftwerk.
- As a DJ, you must come across loads of promos. What do you think about the current state of techno production? Is there enough creativity and innovation?
Of course there’s a lot of it. But also the total amount of tracks released every week is overwhelming. It’s important to have some labels and producers that you always check, because it’s physically impossible to listen to all the new releases every week.
- Do you have a precise moment in your career that you’ll never forget — one that genuinely changed your trajectory?
Code.01, obviously, that one is unforgettable. But also Code.100 was a turning point for us. Something amazing happened that night. And if you ask me something outside my own events, I would say the day that my manager called me and told me that I was going to play in the Main Stage of Monegros… I was in a very difficult personal situation and it was probably the best news I could get in that moment.
- Among all the b2b you’ve played with César Almena over the years, is there one that stands out as particularly special?
Probably Code.100 hehehe. One of the things that happened that night was that, suddenly, after over 10 years doing events, suddenly people discovered the residents of the event. Not only Code became bigger, also Cesar and myself grew a lot after that event.
- Some artists like Laurent Garnier have spoken openly about how exhausting the DJ lifestyle can be. After 25 years on the road, how do you handle the balance between CODE’s organisation, your own gigs, the studio, and personal life?
I always have tried not to “burn” myself, which is something really easy in this business. Music is my passion but I also need to have quality time for my family. Being a dj/promoter is something cool… but you can’t forget that you can’t let it erase everything else in your life.
- You’ve released on Hardgroove, MB Elektronics, Kombination Research and the legendary Harthouse. What did each of these labels teach you that ended up shaping CODE Records?
Every release teaches you something, of course. Hardgroove was very special for me, because it’s one of my favourite lablers and it’s also owned by someone who is a close friend but also someone I really look up to, like Ben Sims. But getting it wasn’t easy. I sent a demo of 4 tracks to Ben and he only chose 2 so I prepared another 4 tracks for a second demo… and once again only 2 of them were good for the label. It was one of the few times that I made the music specially for this label. Usually when I make music I let it flow and once I have a good pack of unreleased tracks, then I see the ones that could fit better in a certain label, so I prepare a demo specifically for that one.
- You’ve just delivered a podcast for Paradox — could you tell us in which mood you recorded it, and what story you wanted to tell through this mix? ? Can you pick a record from the mix and tell us why you like it or how you found it ?
Ufff it was a very special one. It was the closing set at the legendary Spook Club in Valencia. It was our first CODE event in that venue and the vibe was great. I was playing after Ben Sims, so the energy was really high, and the people had just lived an outstanding set by Ben, so I had to do my best… and I think I got it 😉
- What artists and labels are holding your attention right now in 2026? Any names our readers should keep an eye on?
Mutual Rytm, no doubt. I know it’s no surprise… but EVERYTHING that Marco releases on his label is amazing. He’s working A LOT on his label and I think that you can feel it in the result.
- Can you give us a glimpse of the future projects for Nuke, CODE Records, CODE at Fabrik and Ekho Club?
I hope that Code Summer Festival gives that glimpse because it’s a line up with more real techno. I really would like to go in that direction for the next seasons
Thanks a lot RODRIGO, we hope to see you very soon somewhere, keep the good vibe on!
Love and respect